No Book Bans: Illinois To Become 1st State To Prohibit Book Banning

ILLINOIS — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker will make the state the first in the country to have a law on the books preventing schools from banning books as he is expected to sign into law after a piece of legislation passed the State Senate, state officials announced on Wednesday.

House Bill 2789 sets a national precedent after passing the Senate at a time when school librarians and district officials face “unprecedented” censorship of books and other reading resources, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a news release. The measure passed the House of Representatives in March and now goes to the governor's desk for his signature.

The bill would withhold state funding from any of the state's 1,600 school that pull books or other digital materials from its shelves.

"In Illinois, we don't hide from the truth," Pritzker said in a statement when the legislation was introduced in March. "We embrace it and lead with it. Banning books is a devastating attempt to erase 0ur history and the authentic history of many."

Giannoulias, who also serves as the state’s official librarian, initiated the bill after he said extremist groups, including the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, targeted Illinois libraries demanding that certain books be banned, the secretary of state said. The effort took place even though many of the books the group wanted to be removed from libraries are not on required reading lists by schools across Illinois.

“The concept of banning books contradicts the very essence of what our country stands for,” Giannoulias said in a news release. “It also defies what education is all about teaching our children to think for themselves. This landmark legislation is a triumph for our democracy, a win for First Amendment Rights, and a great victory for future generations.”

The bill would require public school libraries to adopt the American Library Association’s Bill of Rights, which states materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

Illinois law does not currently contain language related to book banning or the eligibility for state grants if a library bans items from its collection. Last fiscal year, the Secretary of State’s office awarded 1,631 grants to Illinois libraries totaling more than $62 million, the agency said.

Of those, 97 percent of the grants were awarded to public and school libraries, with public libraries receiving 877 grants and school libraries securing 712 grants. According to the Chicago-based American Library Association (ALA), there were 67 attempts to ban books in Illinois in 2022, increasing from 41 the previous year.

House Bill 2789, sponsored by State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (81st District – Downers Grove) and Sen. Laura Murphy (28th District – Elk Grove Village), allows Giannoulias’ office to authorize grant funding only to libraries that adhere to the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights.

According to Politico, The American Library Association saw 1,200 challenges of books being used by schools across the nation last year. In Illinois, 43 challenges were launched, including "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe, which some parents considered pornographic.

The Bill of Rights states that reading materials should not be removed or restricted because of partisan or personal disapproval, or that issue a statement prohibiting the practice of banning books or resources.

Illinois State Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Frankfort) also offered up support for the legislation on Thursday.

“Our libraries create opportunity for residents to explore the world,” Hastings said in a statement released by his office. “Banning books closes the door on open dialogue in our communities. We should not be in the practice of limiting access to thought-provoking literary resources.”